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Introduction

Thoughts on using your kitchen…

The kitchen is the heart of the home. People linger in kitchens if they feel welcome. Even those who don't love to cook have to eat, and therefore everyone ends up spending time in the kitchen. It's where people gather, it's where conversations take place, and it's where things happen. As a chef, I want everyone to feel welcome in my kitchen and I want to encourage you to use your kitchen as much as possible.

People love the idea of a big, spacious kitchen. In fact, smaller kitchens are easier to cook in. When you're working, you want everything to be within a few steps. You don't want to have to run all over the place to rinse parsley, grate some cheese, and then turn down a burner. Islands are great because you can have one side of the kitchen where people hang out and one side where you work. It's inclusive and efficient at the same time. My kids aren't all big enough to help with every task in the kitchen, but they can always climb up on a stool and keep me company while I cook. We've had many of our best conversations in that room while creating something delicious for the whole family to enjoy.

I'm not going to tell you that you need a fancy stove or sous vide equipment to cook well. I am going to tell you to buy a couple of inexpensive thermometers so you can keep track of your oven, refrigerator, and freezer temperatures. A few degrees here and there can make a big difference, and equipment that works perfectly when you bring it home from the store has a way of deteriorating over time. It's not the end of the world if your oven is off by 10 degrees, as long as you know it and can set your temperatures accordingly.

While we're on the subject of thermometers, having one or two digital probe thermometers around your kitchen can be a very useful thing. The basic model costs under $10, and there are even fancy probe thermometers that will send alerts to your smartphone letting you know when the roast is done. All of the cooks in my restaurant kitchens are required to carry digital thermometers, because they are a quick and foolproof way to know when your food is perfectly cooked.

Timers are almost as important as thermometers. In this age of smartphones, we all have timers in our pockets, so there's no excuse for letting things overcook. At home, if I don't want to carry my phone, old-fashioned kitchen timers work just as well. My oven may cook faster or slower than your oven, but if you have a timer and probe thermometer we should always be able to achieve the same results.

In my restaurants, we label everything, and I do a fair amount of this at home too. Get a roll of painter's tape and a Sharpie and keep them near the refrigerator. Label and date everything you put in there. That way, at the end of the week you won't wonder what something is and whether it's edible; you'll be able to read the answer on the container. Trust me, this takes a few seconds and will make life for you and anyone else foraging in your refrigerator much easier. While you're at it, label dry goods with the date of purchase, especially things you use infrequently, and keep your shelves organized. You are more likely to cook if you can find the ingredients you are looking for.

Keep your knives sharp. It doesn't matter if you use a whetstone or one of those sharpening tools they sell in the stores. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. It doesn't cut properly, so it's more likely to slide off fruits and vegetables rather than into them. Dull knives also require you to use more pressure when you're cutting, which leads to accidents. A good knife slices through ingredients easily and your hands direct the motion without getting in the way. You don't need superexpensive fancy knives, though I confess that I own several. You just need knives that feel good in your hands. Pick them up and hold them before you buy them. Knives have different weights, shapes, and sizes. In order to use one well, you have to find one that fits your hand. A chef's knife, a paring knife, a serrated knife, and a peeler will do almost everything you need in the kitchen.

If you bake or cook often, you should own a digital scale. You can buy a good one at any home-goods store for less than $30. Once you start using one, you'll wonder how you lived without it. You'll notice that we included weight equivalents, in grams and kilograms, for all the recipes in this book. That's because they are universal and allow you to see the ratio of ingredients in any recipe, which gives you the ability to make substitutions or scale them up or down. Furthermore, weights are easy to work with. Every digital scale has a tare function that zeros out the weight. What this means is that you can measure flour into a bowl and zero it out and then add cocoa powder and zero it out and then add sugar or whatever else you need. You'll have exactly the right amount of every ingredient and you'll end up with fewer dishes. What's not to love about that?

Pressure cookers are a chef's best friend, and they can be game changers for home cooks too. These are slightly more expensive than scales and thermometers—a good one costs around $100—but if you like to cook they can be invaluable. Pressure cookers exponentially reduce the amount of time spent cooking, so you can make traditional long-simmered braises in about 30 minutes. Electric pressure cookers, like the one from Cuisinart, allow you to load the ingredients, set the timer, and walk away. They don't take up any burner space and are quieter than stovetop models. You can "set it and forget it," and the results will be uniformly cooked every time. They're great for slow-cooked items like grits or sturdy root vegetables like beets. Pressure cookers braise beautifully and are my favorite piece of equipment for making stocks. Today's models are not your mother's pressure cookers. They are safe, quiet, and make any kitchen more efficient.

Finally, your kitchen needs a few good cookbooks to act as guides and help get things rolling in the kitchen. I wrote this book for my family. I spend more time in my restaurants than I do in my home kitchen. When this cookbook is on our kitchen shelf, it will be like a little part of me is always there with my wife, Jennifer, and the kids.

For me, cooking at home feels like an occasion, and often it is for some sort of a holiday or special meal. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Super Bowl Sunday are days when I make it a point to be home. Sunday suppers are important to me too. I like to cook with my kids, and I love when we're all gathered around the table. Any chef will tell you that breakfast is the one meal every day that they can share with their family. It doesn't matter if I get only a few hours of sleep—I'm up in the morning for breakfast with Jennifer and the kids. It's a priority for me.

The recipes in this book reflect the spirit of the food I grew up with in Maryland, the things I learned in professional kitchens, and the meals I share with my family and friends today. Many of the holiday or special-occasion recipes later in the book can easily be adapted for Sunday suppers or even weeknight meals. Holiday meals are designed so you can do a lot of the preparation in advance and be able to enjoy your company on the big day. Cooking for the people you love is meant to be a pleasure rather than a chore. I've chosen straightforward preparations (for the most part!), bold flavors, and comforting dishes that I hope will inspire you to cook at home with your family and friends and to try something new, perhaps a fresh twist on an old favorite.

From my home to yours,